Oxy-Acetylene Welding 101

Welding is a fundamental skill needed for many truck modifications and repairs. Once a person can cut metal and join parts by welding, an entire universe of possibilities will open for you. This is the start of a four-part series, which will give an overview of the most popular cutting and welding processes.

We’ll start with gas welding for a number of reasons. First, gas welding is the most affordable way to get started with welding. There are outfits available for a few hundred dollars, which are great for learning the fundamentals of welding, and you’ll find that having a gas welding outfit has many other benefits, too. It allows you to cut steel sheet, bar, and plate, and is essential for a variety of heating tasks—from releasing frozen nuts and bolts to heating heavy stock for bending. A gas welding outfit can accomplish a variety of other processes, such as soft soldering, silver soldering, brazing, and autobody soldering (often called “leading”).Forge welding was the very first welding process. Early metalworkers found that if two pieces of metal were heated until they glowed red, they could be hammered together, creating a strong joint. While this process is still used by blacksmiths today for automotive and truck projects it’s much easier to bring the heat to the part than to bring the parts to a forge.

This article is an exclusive feature published on hotrod.com, May 2017. To read the full article, please click here.